TURKEY MUST PROVE THAT IT’S A CIVILIZED STATE
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.05.2009 14:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Conflict settlement requires big efforts. I have
never been optimistic about Armenian-Turkish ties normalization
process, but I am not a great pessimist either," RA President Serzh
Sargsyan told today a news conference. Turkey must prove that it’s a
civilized state, and its government is guided by norms of international
law, the President stressed.
‘AUTUMN’ GIVES A FACE AND A VOICE TO HEMSHIN NARRATIVE AT THE MFA
By Andy Turpin
98autumn%e2%80%99-gives-a-face-and-a-voice-to-hems hin-narrative-at-the-mfa/
April 16, 2009
BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.) – On April 5, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
presented the last installment of its 8th Annual Boston Turkish Film
and Music Festival with the U.S. Premiere of Hamshen-Armenian director
Ozcan Alper’s film "Autumn" ("Sonbahar").
The film revolves around Yusuf. Imprisoned for demonstrating against
the Turkish government as a student in the Communist party, he is
released after 10 years after contracting tuberculosis while in prison.
He returns to his kind but sickly mother and whiles away the days
drinking raki with his childhood friend Mikail. As autumn slowly
turns to winter, he begins a romantically platonic relationship with
a Georgian prostitute-in Turkey on a work visa to support her daughter
in Tbilisi.
As it states in the program summary, "Beyond the personal tragedy
of a man who has nothing to look forward to, there lurks the bitter
deception of a shattered socialist dream."
Alper was born in 1975 in the small town of Artvin in northeastern
Turkey. He studied physics at Istanbul University and later transferred
his degree to the history of science at the same university. In
the meantime, he grew interested in cinema and started to work in
alternative cinema groups. In 1999, he started his professional career
in filmmaking and worked in several films and TV serials as assistant
director and production staff.
His first short film, "Momi" ("Grandmother") received several awards,
and was the first film ever shot in the Hemshin language. "Autumn"
is Alper’s first feature film and was supported by the Turkish
Cultural Ministry. Alper also writes film critiques in "Yeni Film,"
a well-known cinema magazine in Turkey.
Melancholy is the key word to describe "Autumn," but wise persons
know that melancholy and sadness are not the same things. "Autumn"
is beautiful in its transformation and ascendance, even when that
ascendance is the stark realization of one’s own mortality. Like
falling asleep in the snow, "Autumn" is beautiful and numbing in its
grace with a yearning for life and compassion like roses in winter.
Like Alexander Sokurov’s "Russian Ark" (2002) or Harutyun Khachatryan’s
"Return of the Poet" (2005), Alper’s "Autumn" stands as a celluloid
khatchkar (Armenian cross-stone) to the beauty and long shadows of
the collective Armenian tale and is not to be missed, lest another
Armenian monument sink into oblivion in Turkey.
APA, Azerbaijan
March 14 2009
Araz Azimov: We will restore our territorial integrity by all means if
Armenia insists on independence for Nagorno Karabakh
[ 14 Mar 2009 12:18 ]
Baku. Viktoriya Dementyeva-APA. "Armenia is being supplied by its
military ally, Russia," Azimov, who is responsible for security issues
at the foreign ministry, said in an interview with Reuters.
He said Moscow was equipping Armenia, its closest ally in the
Caucasus, under cover of restocking its military hardware at the
Russian military base in the Armenian town of Gyumri.
"We know that from time to time Russia is maintaining its presence in
Gyumri. When new pieces are brought in, what happens to the old ones?"
he said. "Things are coming in, and nothing is coming out."
Azimov said Azerbaijan, by growing its economy, its military and its
image as a stable partner for the West, was trying to convince Armenia
of the need to compromise.
But he denied Azerbaijan was looking for war, saying: "Itâ??s
good to have a strong army, itâ??s even better not to use
it."
"We never said and we never say that we shall go to war with Armenia,"
he said. But with Armenia insisting on independence for the region, "I
have to say that in all circumstances and by all means we will restore
territorial integrity."
Foreign Minister of Iran due in Armenia on March 13
armradio.am
12.03.2009 14:30
The delegation headed by the Foreign Minister of Iran, Manouchehr
Mottaki, will arrive in Armenia for an official visit at the invitation
of the Armenian Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian.
During the visit Manouchehr Mottaki is expected to have meetings with
the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan, Seceratry
of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan, Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsisyan.
Iran set to build more nuclear plants
press tv
Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:24:21 GMT
Deputy Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in
Iranian Parliament, Esmaeil Kowsari
Iran’s authorities are determined to launch more nuclear power plants
across the country, a prominent Iranian parliamentarian has stated.
"The start up of the Bushehr nuclear power plant made clear that the
Iranian government and nation have an indomitable spirit for progress
towards utilization of new energy sources," deputy head of the National
Security and Foreign Policy Commission in Iran’s Parliament, Esmaeil
Kowsari, said in an exclusive interview with IRNA News Agency on
Saturday.
The Iranian lawmaker highlighted that following the victory of the
Islamic Revolution in Iran, western states rescinded their contracts
under which they were liable to construct and complete the Bushehr
plant. The pre-commission of the Bushehr nuclear power plant,
nevertheless, made clear that Iran relies upon its professionals and is
resolved to set up other nuclear plants elsewhere in the country.
Iranian technicians walk outside the reactor building of Bushehr
nuclear plant.
"The Bushehr plant will generate some 250 megawatts of electricity by
September 2009 and another 250 megawatts by the end of next Iranian
year (ending March 21, 2010)," he said.
The Iranian nation under the visionary leadership of the late Imam
Khomeini struggled for control of the country’s infrastructure – a
matter earlier assumed by outsiders. Foreign firms, in return,
repudiated their projects with an aim to indicate they are not
committed to their contractual obligations.
Kowsari noted that Iran intends to build the 360mw Darkhoein nuclear
power plant in the south of the country through domestic technical
know-how.
A Russian technician works in the control room of Bushehr nuclear power
plant.
Iran on Wednesday pre-commissioned its Bushehr nuclear power plant at a
ceremony attended by the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization
Gholam Reza Aghazadeh as well as the head of Russia’s state nuclear
company, Sergei Kiriyenko.
Pre-commissioning is an important step before the actual commissioning
of the power plant located in Iran’s southwest.
The West remains critical of Russia’s involvement in building Iran’s
first nuclear power plant. Moscow says the plant is purely civilian and
cannot be used for any weapons’ program.
Russia last year completed delivery of nuclear fuel to the station
under a total contract estimated to be worth about USD 1b.
Moscow says the plant poses no proliferation risk, as Iran will return
all spent fuel rods to Russia.
The West accuses Iran of covertly seeking to build nuclear weapons,
something Tehran denies. The Islamic Republic of Iran insists its
nuclear activities are merely aimed at generating electricity in a bid
to meet its soaring energy demand.
THE THIEF CRIES, "CATCH THE THIEF"
Vrezh Aharonyan
Azat Artsakh Daily
09 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR
What is Seda Safaryan’s mission?
By proposing lawyer Seda Safaryan’s candidacy for the fact-finding
group, the radical activists knew from the very start that they were
grossly violating the laws. They did know about it and nevertheless
made that step.
Moreover, bringing to light the factor of Tovmas Poghosyan, a lawyer
who was involved in the fact-finding group by the coalition, they
made a "shocking disclosure". In the person of David Shahnazaryan,
they announced, "You know, Gevorg Tovmasyan’s presence in the fact
finding-group is a violation, as this person is a representative of
the ruling coalition."
Before touching upon the "shocking disclosure", let’s note that apart
from being a gross violation, the membership of Stepan Safaryan’s
sister in the fact-finding group may impede the further inquest of the
"March 1" case.
Who is lawyer Seda Safaryan, and what role is vested in her?
First, Seda Safaryan is one of the lawyers who has assumed the
duty of defending different individuals accused of the March 1
disorders. That’s to say, she is an interested party.
It has been announced many a time that the group of lawyers (consisting
of 4-5 people) dealing with the "case of 70 is not the only one. There
are also some "supporting lawyers", so to say. Although, these
people are not going to act in defense of the culprits, they will,
as a matter of fact, do the same thing "stealthily", by "supporting"
the defendants, as they say.
We have reliable information that Seda Safaryan is among the
individuals who are involved in the group of the "supporting
lawyers". That’s to say, she is actually acting in support of the
interests of the accused. So, what is Seda Safaryan’s mission in the
fact-finding group?
Just see. She is, on the one hand, a member of the "support group"
dealing with the "case of 7", and on the other hand, being a involved
in the fact-finding group, she is required to know what data the
inquest body has with regard to other criminal cases concerning
those individuals. Naturally, she will submit those materials to the
support group dealing with the "case of 7" (and there is no other
way of acting in support of these individuals).
This is an obvious violation. The problem here does not only consist
in Seda Safaryan’s being an interested party from the very start,
but also in the fact that being a lawyer and defending the interests
of the accused, she possesses certain data that may impede the further
inquest of the "March 1" case. And it s no secret that some people are
now being searched, and the inquest body has many a time announced
that certain steps still have to be undertaken towards finding the
culprits."
There were also people who died as a result of firearm injuries and
people who, despite having received bodily damages, escaped from the
healthcare institutions, so it is now necessary to find them. After
all, the inquest body possesses some information on the individuals who
used arms. By the way, all these data are not published, considering
the confidentiality of the inquest.
And it is not absolutely difficult to imagine Seda Safaryan making
haste to tell the ‘congressmen’ about everything she knows. As to what
the Armenian National Congress can do, it is quite easy to imagine it
based on the preliminary information we have. Especially, considering
the fact that the latter pursued certain goals in proposing Seda
Safaryan’s candidacy for the fact-finding group.
And what’s more, they realized from the outset that there would sooner
or later be certain problems with regard to S. Safaryan’s candidacy.
They realized it and that’s why, decided to launch the attack first,
by inventing certain ‘disclosures’."
And it is not accidental that the Armenian National Congress is just
now touching upon the information posted on the Web site of the General
Prosecutor’s Office back in Ma rch (in particular, he is reported to
be conducting direct control over the legality of the inquest of the
"March 1" case and directing the court proceedings). What’s more,
the Congress is doing that by publicizing pompous headlines such us
"Congress Submits Successive Shocking Document", "What has Congress
Disclosed?", "D. Shahnazaryan Discloses the Successive Disclosure of
Congress" etc.
Oh, boy! How can the information posted on the Web site of a state
agency back in March be a disclosure for the Armenian National
Congress? If that’s true, they can make similar disclosures every
day. All they have to do is just to visit the Web site of the General
Prosecutor’s Office at
And in general, the opposition is doing whatever it wants to. And
that’s quite right. It is, actually, violating the terms of the
agreement and announcing that the coalition is breaching the law. The
latter did not raise Seda Safaryan’s question in proper time; it
didn’t say, ‘Dear friends, you don’t have the right to propose an
interested party as a member of the fact-finding group.’
It didn’t say so and remained silent, and now the Armenian National
Congress can also accuse the coalition of representing the well-known
truths as disclosures.
MEDVEDEV UNDERSCORES PRE-EMINENCE; OF RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN TIES
Interfax News Agency
Oct 21 2008
Russia
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev thinks that Russian-Armenian
relations are exceptional.
Speaking ahead of face to face talks with his Armenian opposite number,
Medvedev said that he plans to discuss "all economic, humanitarian
and current global economic issues" with his counterpart.
"We will discuss all questions that are linked to our exceptional
relations," he said.
The opening of the Square of Russia in Yerevan, which preceded the
talks, is a symbolic event, "which proves our friendship, partnership
and allied relations."
OUR CANDIDATE
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
18 Oct 2008
Armenia
During the upcoming elections in the United States, the Armenian
community will support and vote in favor of Democratic candidate
Barrack O’bama, Arpi Vardanyan, Head of the ANCA Office for Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh has said. According to her, the Democratic candidate
has always stood out with his pro-Armenian initiatives and is
well-familiar with the Armenian history. `He has promised to recognize
the Armenian Genocide in case of being elected, and we do believe in
the sincerity of his promise,’ A. Vardanyan said.
CZECHIA INTERESTING IN DEVELOPING MULTIFACETED RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
armradio.am
12.09.2008 15:03
On September 12 RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the
delegation headed by the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic
PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka, comprising the Deputy Minister of Finance and the
Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development.
Greeting the guest, RA Foreign Minister highly assessed the
traditionally warm Armenian-Czech relations. He attached importance
to the role of parliamentary diplomacy in deepening the bilateral
relations, expressing hope that the visit of the Czech parliamentary
delegation will contribute to the reinforcement of relations between
Armenia and Czechia. Edward Nalbandian appreciated the activation of
the political dialogue and business ties.
Presenting the objectives of his visit, Mr. Sobotka said the Czech
Republic is interested in the development of multifaceted relations
with Armenia and his visit, as well as the recent visit of the Czech
Foreign Minister, are evidences of this interest.
At the request of the guest, Minister Nalbandian presented Armenia’s
views on the latest developments in the region, as well as the
opportunities of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.
–Boundary_(ID_WrMxG+rN2gkiWnRB84kNgQ) —
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 8 2008
President Gül’s Yerevan visit boosts Turkey’s credentials in Europe
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Union Commissioner for
Enlargement Olli Rehn have praised President Abdullah Gül’s
visit to Armenia to watch a World Cup qualifying match between the
national teams of the two countries. Sarkozy welcomed the visit, the
first ever by a Turkish president since Armenia became independent in
1991, as "courageous and historic."
Sarkozy, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European
Union, said in a statement on Saturday: "While the region is in the
midst of a serious crisis, [his visit] is a courageous and historic
gesture for Turkish-Armenian relations.
It allows hope for progress soon in establishing normal relations
between Turkey and Armenia."
Sarkozy is a staunch opponent of Turkey’s accession into the EU,
saying it culturally and geographically does not belong in Europe. But
he praised Turkey’s role in mediating peace talks between Israel and
Syria and said Europe was grateful for its assistance at a summit in
Damascus on the Middle East last week.
He paid "tribute to the political courage of President Gül and
President [Serzh] Sarksyan" of Armenia and said he was hoping that
reaching out will allow both countries to show the world that
"reconciliation is possible through openness, dialogue and the respect
of others."
Speaking to reporters in Avignon, France, on the sidelines of an EU
foreign ministers meeting, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
also praised Gül and said the EU welcomed his visit to Armenia.
Turkey’s Armenia initiative follows its efforts to create a Caucasus
platform to resolve regional disputes after a brief Georgian-Russian
war last month. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who attended the talks
with EU foreign ministers on Saturday, said he was optimistic that
French position towards Turkey would soften as Paris gets to know
Turkey better and understands its importance in the region.
"We have been holding constant talks in the recent past with
France. As France understands us better, France’s perspective and
thoughts on Turkey will change positively," Babacan said on Saturday
in Avignon. He said he had briefed his EU counterparts about the
Turkish government’s recent efforts to help peace in the Caucasus and
a proposed Caucasus platform for regional stability and cooperation.
Babacan also said Turkey expected to open two more negotiating
chapters with the EU during the French presidency, which will expire
at the end of the year. EU Enlargement Commissioner Rehn also
commended on Gül’s initiative to go to Yerevan and praised
Turkey’s energetic diplomacy to help solve frozen conflicts in the
Caucasus. "I certainly hope that this will pave the way for a
breakthrough in Turkey-Armenian relations and return to normal
diplomatic relations, to the opening of the border and dealing with
sensitive historical issues," Rehn said.
Speaking before the soccer game, Rehn joked, "If Turkey plays as well
as they did in the European [soccer] championship, they should cause a
diplomatic incident in Yerevan."
"Turkey’s active diplomacy towards Syria, the Middle East, Armenia and
the Caucasus show its paramount importance as our partner in advancing
regional stability in one of the most unstable parts of the world,"
Rehn said. "The EU accession process would further facilitate joint
work by the EU and Turkey to stabilize those regions." Ä°stanbul
Today’s Zaman with wires
08 September 2008, Monday